The Project: Lisa Wilkinson’s text to Peter Helliar caught him ‘by surprise’

Peter Helliar has made a surprising admission about his former co-host Lisa Wilkinson’s abrupt exit from The Project, amid a major upheaval for the show.

Lisa Wilkinson’s abrupt, “effective immediately” departure from The Project this week came as a big surprise to viewers – and it seems at least one of her co-hosts was caught off-guard as well.

Peter Helliar – who also announced that he was leaving the show this week – told Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa on Wednesday morning that he’d only found out about Wilkinson’s resignation a short time before the rest of Australia did.

“I must say, Lisa caught me by surprise on Sunday,” he told the radio hosts, admitting he’d had “no idea” it was coming.

“I didn’t actually know until Sunday. She messaged me on Sunday to let me know.”

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Helliar has announced he’s leaving The Project. Picture: Ten Play

Ten’s nightly panel program is experiencing something of a mass exodus, with original host Carrie Bickmore revealing last month that she would not be returning in 2023, and Wilkinson and Helliar following suit this week.

On Wednesday, Ten announced Studio 10 star Sarah Harris will be the new host of The Project, appearing on the show five nights a week alongside Waleed Aly, as Bickmore’s final show looms.

After five years at the desk, @Lisa_Wilkinson will be the leaving The Project. Here is the moment she made the announcement.#TheProjectTVpic.twitter.com/2nEc1kbTcI

— The Project (@theprojecttv) November 20, 2022

The dramatic upheaval has sparked plenty of industry speculation that The Project, which has been struggling in the ratings, is clearing the decks in order to make room for a rebrand.

However, Helliar, 47, denied claims that he’d been pushed out, insisting to Fitzy and Wippa that he had been considering his decision for “a fair portion of the year”.

“Seeing Carrie make that call [to leave], I think that kind of gave me … It’s hard to leave a show that works. I’ve seen people leave shows that are working, and I’m always like, ‘Why would you leave?’” he told the hosts.

“But I’ve been in the building for over 10 years; it’s crazy.”

Wippa then asked if there had been “some controversy” around Wilkinson’s apparently sudden decision, given that both Bickmore and Helliar’s announcements had been in the works “for a while”.

While Helliar denied there were any other issues at play, he admitted his co-host had been experiencing some challenges.

“I’ve seen it first-hand – [Lisa’s] had an incredibly tough year, to be absolutely honest, and there are some things obviously that are coming up in the world, and she felt like she needed to take a break,” he said.

“I don’t want to talk on behalf of Lisa, she’s amazing. I just think sometimes people get put through the wringer publicly, and it’s not just them, it’s their family, and it does take its toll.”

Helliar added: “I think Lisa is making a very brave choice for her and her family.”

Double resignation

On Sunday evening, Wilkinson announced she was leavingThe Project after five years, citing a difficult last six months marked by “relentless, targeted toxicity”.

“It’s time to reprioritise a few things in my life,” Wilkinson told viewers.

She said it had been an “absolute privilege” to work with the “incredible team” at Ten, who she described as among “the most talented and decent humans I know”.

“I have had a ball. But for me, right now, it’s time for a change,” she said.

“The last six months have not been easy, and the relentless targeted toxicity by some sections of the media has taken a toll, not just on me, but on people I love.

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not above criticism, far from it. I’m human, and I don’t always get it right. None of us do.

“But by god, I’ve tried. I’ve given this job everything I have. And I hope you at home know that. I hope I brought you stories that matter and introduced you to people whose lives and experiences might otherwise never be told, and helped bring into focus issues that deserve our collective attention.”

Carrie Bickmore and Lisa Wilkinson at the 2019 Logies. Picture: Jerad Williams

Just two days later, Helliar announced he was also leaving, citing other professional commitments.

“It’s been something on my mind for a while. People will read into the situation however they want to read into it but I feel like I need to create some space for some projects that I want to work on,” he said.

“But [Carrie Bickmore] said that you are glad you’re leaving The Project while you still love it and I still love the show. I really do. It means a lot to me. It’s done amazing things for me.

“I interviewed Luke Skywalker once. And that meant a lot. And I look forward to see what the show is in the future.”

‘Last-ditch attempt’

Following the resignations, entertainment commentator Peter Ford, who is heard on radio around Australia, said several stars of the show might not return in 2023.

He claimed that the network was also “seriously toying with not bringing back the Sunday version of the show, which has never taken off”, and would also refresh the set and line-up.

“This is a last-ditch attempt to try and save it, but whether the brand name is already too tarnished, only time will tell,” he said.

“You’ve only got to look at the ratings to realise that for the money they are giving out, the return is not good enough, and it hasn’t been for a long time.

“This is the first major shake-up ever; they’ve given the show tweaks in the past, but this is do or die. I think the way the show was going, it was going into a sinkhole and it was not going to recover.”